One of the main things I will miss when I leave Houston will definitely be the people: my friends, my co-workers and the awfully friendly strangers. If it weren’t for connecting so well with my co-workers, I don’t think I would have enjoyed Houston as much. And you know how I know we met special people?

They were not only amused but also excited about our idea for a mustard tasting party.

This idea had been brewing for nearly as long as our idea for a tamale party. Somehow, I managed to convince Rob, that yes, I wanted the mustard variety pack at Trader Joe’s, and yes, I knew we only had 6 months left. Oh and yes, we already had another 3-4 other mustard varieties.

We proposed the idea: help us eat our mustards, let’s have a mustard tasting party. We figured we had enough mustard to sample, but everyone also brought their own favourite mustard as well. Collectively, we had 12 mustards. Everything from a Mango Diablo mustard, to a honey and whiskey mustard, to a creole mustard and nearly the entire gamut of Trader Joe’s mustards. 😉

The question, of course, was what to serve at a (vegan-friendly) mustard tasting party.

I loved the suggestion for small boiled potatoes for tasting the mustards individually. I also made plain roasted cauliflower and Rob cut up some pita bread to serve with fresh hummus. Our guests provided some chips, pretzels, sausages and beer [including ginger beer].

The small potatoes were a resounding success. I was impressed that they all looked different when sampling, too.

For those curious: I think we all really liked Trader Joe’s Basil Mustard. The El Diablo Hot & Spicy mustard also earned high praise, but I didn’t try it since I was warned it was uber spicy. I also highly recommend Stadium Mustard that our friend brought us from Cleveland, which sadly did not make an appearance because we ate it all before the party (you can see it pictured here with my vegan cheese-stuffed sausage and sauerkraut, though).

We had a bit of odds-and-ends leftovers after the party and they combined fabulously. So fabulously, I just had to share it. Knowing that hummus+mustard worked well in my vegan deviled eggs, I worked with a mummus sauce (mustard + hummus). Worried my rice bowl may be too beige, I added the leftover roasted cauliflower and hummus to freshly sauteed garlicky spinach. I was thinking Terry’s Sesame Wow Greens would have been great, but I went with something more simple: spinach and garlic finished with toasted sesame oil. It complemented the hummus really well. (Of note, I just made a single serving but increased the amount to serve 4 in the recipe below).

Leftovers need not be boring and I may never have had the forethought (or energy) to make such an involved recipe. But I highly encourage you to try it out. 🙂

Not that I need new mustards right now, but which one is your favourite? Have you ever made homemade mustard?

1. Roast your cauliflower: Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, mix together the cauliflower florets, oil and sprinkle with salt and lemon pepper seasoning. Even space the cauliflower onto 2 silpat-lined baking trays and roast for 40 minutes, stirring half-way through. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

2. Make your rice.

3. Prepare your hummus.

4. Right before you want to eat, prepare your garlicky spinach: In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, place 1/4 cup water. Once hot, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds or so. Add spinach and cover with a lid. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, until somewhat wilted and a brighter green. You may need to do this in batches if you don’t have enough room. Remove from heat and drizzle with toasted sesame oil.

5. To make your bowl, place brown rice in a bowl. Top with 1/4 of the spinach, 1/4 of the roasted cauliflower and 1/4 cup hummus. Add your favourite mustard, to taste.

Love the idea (and name) of mummus! What a healthy, vibrant bowl, chock full of hit parade favorites!

I’m impressed that you could find some people who were willing to use potatoes to sample the mustards. Most people I know think potatoes should be avoided, due to the carbs….:(

Now if you can just create something with mustard that could also use up some coconut flour so you can use up both before your move! I almost wonder whether there could be something kind of Indianish—some savory pastryish thing. By the way, how much coconut flour do you have left?

Hey Ellen, Rob gets full props for the mummus naming. 😉 I am positively the only food nut amongst my family and friends.. thus everyone else just enjoys good food so potatoes are still ok. 🙂
I think you are onto something with the mustard and coconut flour… perhaps a savoury biscuit?? 🙂
I think we have resigned to bringing it home with us. I have made a dent in it but still lots left. I don’t want to even do the math for calculating it on a per week basis until I move. 😉

I would be all over having a mustard-tasting party! Especially considering I already have four different kinds in the fridge for everyday consumption anyway. 🙂 And I have made mustard a few times–super easy and well wroth it. My favorite is this lactofermented maple mustard. It used whey to ferment but you can evidently use other options too. So good!

your bowl sounds delicious – I love mustard but mostly in cooking rather than on sandwiches or as a condiment – probably should try it more as I think I have grown to love it more in cooking over the years – the tasting party sounds fun

I love the idea of a mustard party and that guests could bring along their own mustard as well. I don’t think we use mustard enough in the UK. Parties always leave far too much food at the end but I’m glad you managed to find a delicious way of using them up. Thanks for linking up with this month’s No Waste Food Challenge.

Superyumful idea! It would be fun to do a movie night mustard party with tater tots as dippers, and also a summer BBQ/tailgate party with vegan hotdogs and burgers, just so you know, to taste the mustards in different environments. 😉
We have a mustard festival in our state every year at the Mustard Museum which is crazy fun, plus they have a fabulous mustard store with zillions of mustards!http://mustardmuseum.com/the-mustard-museum/events/

I love the idea of a mustard tasting party. brilliant call on the small potatoes!

at the Ommegang brewery in Cooperstown, NY, they serve an array of incredible mustards, jams, + pretzels to accompany their beer tastings. it’s like a damn dream. I’d love to see/attend/host some more condiment parties.

I have made mustard before but just regular hot mustard. I bought several kinds at a stand in a home show: horeradish mustard was delightfully spicy; wasabi mustard was a disappointment as the wasabi taste did not come through; I still have a jar of jalapeno mustard that I have high hopes for.
I have a different kind of mustard story to tell, which does not highlight my intelligence. A mustard poultice is used for lung congestion. One time I forgot to add the flour. I burnt the skin on my chest so badly that it peeled. I have not used a mustard poultice since then.

[…] are condiments and I have my eye on the recipes for 3 different types of mustard (Remember that mustard tasting party? Homemade mustards are the next level in mustard party land). Next, Miyoko has replicas of dairy […]